Dolphins and whales are the only aquatic animals in the world that use Echolocation to communicate, navigate and find food. But in 2002 an unknown creature was recorded echolocating in Lake Champlain.The clicking heard wasn’t made by a boat, a fish-finder or an angler’s reel. It was unequivocally a freshwater mammal, due to this creature’s ability to echolocate it proves it has a highly advanced brain. To me is is extremely smart as it has eluded humans for hundreds of years.

My Findings

So far, the researchers think the Echolocation they captured sound much like those made by Beluga whales or Orcas, but this unique signature is not from either species.

I have been researching the echolocation recordings that were documented in Lake Champlain, they were compared to be similar to a Orca or Rissos Dolphin but after my extensive study of Echolocation sounds in comparison, I did find a species of Whale that this unknown animal sounds EVEN MORE similar to then an Orca or Rissos Dolphin: The False Killer Whale. The similarities are so close it is amazing!

The Lake Champlain creature produces Echolocation at 0-44 kHz. False Killer Whales use Echolocation primarily in the frequency range of 20 yo 60 kHz. this shows they both share the same khz range. False Killer Whales are also capable of using higher frequencies of 100 to 130 kHz. The size of False Killer Whales The average size is around (16 ft). Females can reach a maximum known size of 17 ft in length, while the largest males can reach 20 ft. Eyewitness descriptions estimate Champ to be 15-20 feet in length (same size range) but it would not explain the sightings of a serpentine/snake like creature or the head and neck of a plesiosaur like animal sticking out of the water that most people report.

False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is found world-wide in tropical and warm-temperate waters. It ranges north to Maryland, Scotland, Japan, Hawaii, and Alaska and south to Patagonia in Argentina, Cape Province, South Australia, Tasmania, South Island of New Zealand, Chatham Islands, and southern Chile. Although there are numerous records of these animals seen in cool temperate waters, these appear to be outside the normal range. Wanderers have been recorded as far afield as Norway and Alaska. it is somewhat unlikely these animals could withstand the cold rigid waters of Lake Champlain during the winter months but perhaps it could. Since wanderers have been found in Alaska and Norway, the idea is plausible.

Why the False Killer Whale is an unlikely candidate echolocating in Lake Champlain.

It it has been said that False Killer Whales are as social as Pilot Whales (Globicephala). They ride in the wakes and bow waves of ships. They prefer faster-moving ships, but will ride the bow waves on any vessel. They are one of the few large mammals that leap out of the water over the wake of the ship, which is a useful identification attribute so it rules out that they are what is making the echolocation in Lake Champlain. If they were, they would be seen often and leaping about especially around water craft.Champ is mostly an elusive creature and not particularly social. Although there are a handful of accounts of Champ coming into contact with boats and people in the water but it is not common.If there were False Killer Whales in the lake..it would be obvious as These whales have been known to approach and offer fish they have caught to humans diving or boating.False killer whales are extremely intelligent due to their Echolocation capabilities and since the unknown animal in Lake Champlain has an echolocation similar to the False Killer Whale it shows that it also has an advanced brain. I did find this comparison quite interesting because they sound so much alike even more so then an Orca or Rissos dolphin! Here are the sound clips in comparison. 🙂

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About Katy ElizabethKaty Elizabeth was born in Warwick, Rhode Island. Katy has been studying the existence of Champ since a child. As one of the youngest and most recent Cryptozoologists, she made her life long dream into reality when she had her own sighting and experiences of this elusive creature on Lake Champlain. It prompted her to start her own non-profit group called “Champ Search”. The group's goal is to study, investigate and prove the existence of unique animals that inhabit New York and Vermont’s beautiful Lake Champlain. She is the author of the books Water Horse Of Lake Champlain and Water Horse Of Lake Champlain II available on amazon.com.

6 Responses to “Echolocation Recorded in Lake Champlain”

Eyewitness descriptions estimate Champ to be 15-20 feet in length (same size range) but it would not explain the sightings of a serpentine/snake like creature or the head and neck of a plesiosaur like animal sticking out of the water that most people report.

Actually, one might not be able to select two pictures more supporting those sighting descriptions than the two I see up there.

I believe that I read somewhere (here?) that the echolocation recordings obtained by the Fauna Communications Research Institute were questionable or that their collection methods were. If someone has this information and can included it in a response, please do.

I have been to Lake Champlain many times as both child and adult and it is a huge body of water to be sure but if most cetaceans of the world are not too difficult to find in the vast oceans of this planet than how are some avoiding detection in Champlain or much smaller Loch Ness for that matter. This is not to say that cryptids cannot exist in those bodies of water, only that it’s very doubtful that they are air-breathing whales that would be regularly seen, well…breathing.